


In Another Life, A 'Hamilton Watches Hamilton' Story

by Sirius_writings



Series: Breaking Chains [2]
Category: 18th Century CE RPF, Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alexander Hamilton is George Washington's Biological Son, F/M, Gen, George Washington is a Dad, More tags to come after I get some sleep, Too many characters to list - the whole cast is there and then some
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22856473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirius_writings/pseuds/Sirius_writings
Summary: In another life, where a British Major was not captured – or perhaps, where James Hamilton, Sr. never joined the military at all – and certain important conversations never happened, the events of history – and the musical – happened largely as expected.  The war, the Reynolds Pamphlet, the death of a child, and the death of a man who was in many ways broken… all happened without two separated twins ever meeting again.  A greater power – the nature of which is perhaps up for debate – took some exception to this, which will find Hamilton’s friends and family… and a few others… getting to know a bit more about a certain Treasury Secretary courtesy of a particular musical.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton & George Washington, Alexander Hamilton & OFC, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler
Series: Breaking Chains [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616830
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	In Another Life, A 'Hamilton Watches Hamilton' Story

In Another Life, a Hamilton Watches Hamilton Story

Author: Sirius_Writings

Rating: M, for disturbing subject matter.

Summary: In another life, where a British Major was not captured – or perhaps, where James Hamilton, Sr. never joined the military at all – and certain important conversations never happened, the events of history – and the musical – happened largely as expected. The war, the Reynolds Pamphlet, the death of a child, and the death of a man who was in many ways broken… all happened without two separated twins ever meeting again. A greater power – the nature of which is perhaps up for debate – took some exception to this, which will find Hamilton’s friends and family… and a few others… getting to know a bit more about a certain Treasury Secretary courtesy of a particular musical.

Author’s Note: While this is part of the ‘Breaking Chains’ universe, it is not necessary to read any other story in the series to enjoy this one (though I certainly won’t object if you do). If you are reading the other story (soon to be ‘stories’) as well, some of the background here may be spoilerish… or not. There’s no absolute guarantee that the background discussed here will make an appearance anywhere else in the series. Of course, there’s no guarantee that it _won’t_ , either… we’ll see. Basically, this is just me having some “What if” fun, and indulging my own love of “Hamilton Watches Hamilton” stories. Hopefully, it’s not too similar to the many other wonderful works of this type that have come before mine.

Author’s Note 2: This story is an AO3 exclusive and will not be cross-posted to my fanfiction.net account. The last time I checked, that site had some posting rules that could make song-fics or anything similar… questionable, and I choose not to test them.

Disclaimer: As always, nothing and no one you recognize belongs to me. The people – with all their successes, failures, loves, hates and personal quirks – belong to history. The musical, in all its glory, is the brilliant brain-child of Lin-Manuel Miranda. The original characters are mine, but there are not many of them.

Warning: I take liberties with historical fact, advancing the field of medicine – and the place of women in it – by… not quite a century, give or take.

Prologue: In Another Life

In another life, where a British Major was not captured – or perhaps, where James Hamilton, Sr. never joined the military at all – and certain important conversations never happened, a woman sat at a desk. Her hair, though shot through with strands of silver, was still mostly dark, a shining, deep black. Storm-blue eyes that had seen the worst humanity had to offer and revealed nothing were at that moment filled with tears that she would not allow to fall. Before her was the letter that served only to confirm what she’d already known, having _felt_ her brother die. Before her… was the cold truth that Alec was gone, and her own attempts to protect him had meant he died never knowing what had become of her.

_Is this our curse, then, that in trying to protect our loved ones, we damn them instead? What could have become of us, had events not transpired in that way?_

The office door opened, and the woman made mental note of the squeaky hinge, but otherwise ignored it. No one in this house was a threat to her, and no one coming through that door without announcement could be considered a stranger.

The lightness of step spoke of military training, and the ease with which the guest surveyed the surroundings without feeling the need to speak meant that said guest was one of three people, though the hand on her shoulder in silent sympathy identified him more surely than any other trait. “You’ve never failed to express yourself well without the need for words, Declan, and I’m grateful to avoid the standard platitudes. I’d not seen him in so long, it seems almost selfish of me to mourn him now.”

“I will not then say that I am sorry for your loss, so as to avoid those same platitudes, though you are wrong about one thing. You are not selfish, little cousin; until now, there was still hope that you would see him again, that you would come to know the family he made, your nieces and nephews. There is nothing wrong in mourning that loss. The only wrong would be in ignoring your grief. Did you think I’d let you shunt me aside with the excuse that you’ve work to do, when you didn’t allow me the pretense, after Miranda?”

A sad hint of a smile tugged at her mouth as the memory of years went by in seconds and she turned the face the officer behind her. “It’s rather not the same thing, Declan, but I take your point. And I’d imagine were I to be stubborn about it, the rest of the cousins would make an appearance in their turn?”

With unpowdered hair dark as her own, and blue-violet eyes that shouted out the kinship between them, Declan McKinley’s own mouth turned up in a matching half-smile. “Your imagination is, as ever, remarkably true to reality. Yes, the horde would make a nuisance of itself until such time as you would admit that all is _not_ well in your corner of the world. So… though I’ve heard them all a thousand times, tell me the stories just once more, of this cousin I’ve never met, and we’ll mourn him together as McKinleys should.”

And if, perhaps, her sleep that night was gentler than she thought it had any right to be, she could not be sorry for it… even if she could wish things would have been different.

Year after year passed by in its turn, the woman from a distance following her own calling and doing what she could to help the family who did not know her, her life and adopted station offering more than a few benefits. She made her way, in time, to the graveyard at Trinity Church, and set her own tribute at her brother’s headstone. Another small gift graced her nephew’s grave, before she forced her feet to turn away; if she had not moved then, she would not have moved at all.

And several years after even that moment, after a long and full life, as she lay down to rest an ocean away from her beloved brother, she breathed a soft wish that the events of their lives could have unfolded in a kinder fashion… and slowly slipped away into a more eternal rest.

And in that moment, the One who’d created both the woman and her brother decided their separation had lasted long enough.


End file.
